Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFGC’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFGC’, characterized by its upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance; leaves that are dark purple to dark reddish brown in color; freely flowering habit; light yellow green-colored flower buds and white-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Weigela florida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNWFGC’.

STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY INVENTOR/APPLICANT & ASSIGNEE

The Inventor/Applicant and Assignee assert that no publications nor advertisements relating to sales, offers for sale or public distribution occurred more than one year prior to the effective filing date of this application. Any information about the claimed plant would have been obtained from a direct or indirect disclosure from the Inventor/Applicant and/or the Assignee. Inventor/Applicant and Assignee claim a prior art exception under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(1) for disclosure and/or sales prior to the filing date but less than one year prior to the effective filing date.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Weigela plant, botanically known as Weigela florida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘SMNWFGC’.

The new Weigela plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of the breeding program was to develop new compact and freely flowering Weigela plants with dark-colored leaves and white-colored flowers.

The new Weigela plant originated from an open-pollination in 2016 in Grand Haven, Mich. of Weigela florida ‘Granitini’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Weigela florida as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Weigela plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor in 2018 as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Weigela plant by softwood stein cuttings since 2018 in Grand Haven, Mich. has shown that the unique features of this new Weigela plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Weigela have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘SMNWFGC’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘SMNWFGC’ as a new and distinct Weigela plant:

-   -   1. Upright to outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and bushy appearance.     -   3. Leaves that are dark purple to dark reddish brown in color.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Light yellow green-colored flower buds and white-colored         flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Granitini’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Weigela have darker-colored leaves than         plants of ‘Granitini’.     -   2. Plants of the new Weigela have smaller flowers than plants of         ‘Granitini’.     -   3. Plants of the new Weigela have white-colored flowers whereas         plants of ‘Granitini’ have white-colored flowers that are tinged         with pink.

Plants of the new Weigela can also be compared to plants of the Weigela florida ‘Velda’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 26,842. In side-by-side comparisons plants of the new Weigela differ primarily from plants of ‘Velda’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Weigela have darker-colored leaves than         plants of ‘Velda’.     -   2. Plants of the new Weigela are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Velda’.     -   3. Flower buds of plants of the new Weigela are brighter yellow         green in color than flower buds of plants of ‘Velda’.     -   4. Flowers of plants of the new Weigela are white in color         whereas flowers of plants of ‘Velda’ are white in color with a         yellow orange-colored streak in the throat.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Weigela plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Weigela plant.

The photograph on the first sheet (FIG. 1) is a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘SMNWFGC’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet (FIG. 2) is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘SMNWFGC’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were grown during the spring and summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery and in three-gallon containers in a polypropylene- covered greenhouse in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices typical of commercial Weigela production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 5° C. to 10° C. Plants of the new Weigela were two years old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Weigela florida ‘SMNWFGC’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Weigela florida ‘Granitini ’, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Weigela             florida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood stein cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 15 days at             temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About two             months at temperatures about 18° C. to 27° C.         -   Root description.—Fine; fibrous; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer, substrate             temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright to             outwardly spreading and uniformly mounding plant habit;             vigorous growth habit and rapid growth rate.         -   Branching habit.—Freely branching habit with about 15 to 20             lateral branches developing per plant; pinching enhances             lateral branch development; dense and bushy plant form.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 55 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 40 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm to 6 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 4 cm.         -   Texture.—When developing, slightly pubescent along             longitudinal ridges; with development becoming glabrous.         -   Strength.—Strong, somewhat flexible.         -   Aspect.—About 15° to 45° from vertical.         -   Color, developing.—Close to between 166B and 200A.         -   Color, developed.—Close to 199C. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite; simple.         -   Length.—About 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.75 cm.         -   Shape.—Elliptical to oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Oblique.         -   Margin.—Serrulate.         -   Texture, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous; coriaceous.         -   Texture, lower surface.—Pubescence along midvein; prominent             venation; coriaceous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A;             towards the margins, tinged with close to between N186A and             200A. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 147B;             towards the margins, tinged with close to between N186A and             200A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to between             N186A and 200A; proximally, close to 147A; venation, close             to 147A tinged with close to N186A. Fully expanded leaves,             lower surface: Close to 148A tinged with close to N186A;             venation, close to 147C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to between N186A and 200A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             terminal clusters each with about four to six flowers; about             50 flowers develop per lateral stem during the flowering             season; flowers face upright to slightly outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants of the new Weigela flower             during the late spring and early summer in Grand Haven,             Mich.; flowers not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2 cm. Diameter: About 7 mm.             Shape: Obovate to spatulate. Color: Close to between 145B to             145C.         -   Flower diameter.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Flower length (height).—About 3 cm.         -   Flower throat diameter.—About 1 cm         -   Flower tube length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter, proximally.—About 3 mm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Salverform; five petals fused into a             tube with separate petal lobes. Petal lobe length: About             1 cm. Petal lobe width: About 1 cm. Petal lobe shape:             Rounded to orbicular. Petal lobe apex: Obtuse. Petal lobe             margin: Entire; slightly undulate. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; silky. Throat and tube             texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Developing and fully             developed, upper surface: Close to NN155B slightly tinged             with close to 150D; venation, similar to lamina color.             Developing and fully developed, lower surface: Close to             NN155B slightly tinged with close to 150D; venation, similar             to lamina color. Throat: Close to NN155B; venation, close to             NN155B. Tube: Close to NN155B; towards the base, close to             76D; venation, close to NN155B.         -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Five in a single whorl, fused;             campanulate calyx. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 2 mm.             Shape: Narrowly triangular, elongated. Apex: Acuminate.             Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth; glabrous; coriaceous. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to N187A; towards the base, close to             144B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect: Upright to outwardly. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to N187A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement: Five             per flower. Filament length: About 1 cm. Filament color:             Close to NN155B. Anther shape: Narrowly oblong. Anther size:             About 5 mm. Anther color: Close to 161A. Pollen amount: None             observed. Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length:             About 3.5 cm. Style length: About 3 cm. Style color: Close             to NN155B; towards the base, close to 76D. Stigma shape:             Flattened globular. Stigma color: Close to NN155B. Seeds and             fruits: To date, seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Weigela. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Weigela have exhibited good     garden performance. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Weigela have     not been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Weigela plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Weigela plant named ‘SMNWFGC’ as illustrated and described. 